Running head: HISTORICAL IMPLICATIONS
Historical Implications
Laura Nordstrom
TESOL 507
November 18, 2013
Cindy Bauman
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HISTORICAL IMPLICATIONS
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Historical Implications
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Topic
Name of cultural group

A description of challenges faced by
this cultural group throughout its
immigration or migration

Terminology you learned from the
course readings and how it may apply
to this particular cultural group
My response
 Swedish
 Immigration started in the 1840s
 The main reason the Swedish started
immigrating to the United States was
because of poor economical and social
circumstances in Sweden. They were
farmers and they had major crop
failure. It was a desperate enough
situation they felt it necessary to move
to a new country (Blanck, 2009).
 After emigrants came to the United
States, they found fertile ground in the
Midwest, primarily in Minnesota,
Illinois, Kansas, Nebraska and
Wisconsin (Blanck, 2009).
 Swedish emigrants had environmental
challenges growing their crops: too
much rain, too little rain, hard winters
(White, 2013).
 They also had challenges with
sicknesses, which often times resulted
in death.
 One Swedish community that was
established is Bishop Hill, IL. These
people, led by Eric Janssen, were
seeking religious freedom. Their colony
was a thriving community until Janssen
was killed. Eventually without his
leadership, the colony dissolved (White,
2013).
 Culture: The thoughts, actions,
customs, beliefs, value of a group of
people (Chartock, 2010).
Understanding the culture of Swedes
will enhance students’ learning. A
student needs to know how a group’s
culture is similar or different than their
own to help comprehend the culture.
 Multicultural education: Linking race,
language, culture, etc. to celebrate
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
How diversity may be taught using
immigration history




Approaches that might be used to teach
about immigration in American history


human diversity and equal opportunity
(Brown & Kysilka, 2009). Teaching
through multicultural education will
allow students to not isolate Swedes
into a group of people just to learn
about. Bishop Hill is very close to our
school district therefore, many will be
able to personally relate to this culture.
Global education: Includes many
different ways to view the world, such
as awareness of other viewpoints in the
world and the need for local, national
and international participation (Brown
& Kysilka, 2009). Incorporating the
Swedish community into lesson plans
would allow students to see other’s
point of view and to compare the
similarities and differences between
other cultural groups and themselves.
The teacher can find out the
backgrounds of the students in her
class. The teacher and students can then
gather information about how and when
each group immigrated to the United
States. This would allow students to
compare and contrast these groups.
They will be able to see the differences
between themselves, but also the
similarities that they share.
By studying immigration, students are
made aware of where their ancestors
came from and where their classmates’
ancestors came from. Many times,
students do not think of or appreciate
their backgrounds if they have not
recently immigrated.
Sometimes you cannot tell a person’s
culture simply by looking at them.
Letting students explore their own
backgrounds will enable them to gain
more knowledge not only about others,
but themselves as well.
Hands-on experiences: Learning about
Swedish life would be learned through
a “day in the life” field trip
Visuals: Using a world map to show the
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
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
A brief description of three specific
strategies or lesson plan ideas you
might implement to apply the
components of culturally responsive
teaching



distance between Sweden and the
United States. Can show the route the
Eric Janssen group took to get from
Sweden to the United States.
Real-life experiences: The colonists
walked the last 100 miles, roughly from
Chicago to Bishop Hill. Take the
students for a mile walk, then explain
that they would need to walk it again 99
more times to walk as far as the Bishop
Hill colonists did.
Collaboration: The colonists worked
together in a communal society. Create
groups where each student is assigned a
job to complete a larger task.
Field trip: To teach students about the
Swedish community of Bishop Hill,
students will take a field trip to the
colony. Students will dress as the
colonists did. Boys will wear jeans, a
white button-down shirt and a straw
hat. Girls wear a shirt, a long skirt and
an apron. Hair will be held back in a
scarf. Students will reenact a typical
day in Bishop Hill in the 1840s. Girls
will work on preparing a meal of
homemade cheese, tack bread, apples,
rhubarb pie and coffee. Boys will carry
water buckets, cut wood, make rope and
do other laborer’s work. Students will
also attend church with boys on one
side of the pews and girls on the other.
Classroom Commune: After the field
trip to Bishop Hill, students will
continue to learn how all Swedes
worked together in a commune. They
will carry out a modern-day commune
in their classroom. Students will work
collaboratively to decide on classroom
jobs, how to divide those jobs and
follow through by doing the jobs given.
They will periodically meet to discuss
how the commune is working and if
any adjustments need to be made.
Venn diagram: Students will make a
Venn diagram to compare and contrast
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how the Bishop Hill colonists lived to
how we live today. They will use their
knowledge from the field trip and the
classroom commune living to get their
information.
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References
Blanck, D. (2009). Swedish Immigration to North America. Retrieved from
http://www.augustana.edu/general-information/swenson-center-/swedish-americanimmigration-history
Brown, S.C., & Kysilka, M. L. (2009). What every teacher should know about multicultural and
global education. Boston, MA: Pearson.
Chartock, R.K. (2010). Strategies and lessons for culturally responsive teaching: A primer for K12 teachers. Boston, MA: Pearson.
White, M. (2013). The Bishop Hill Colony: Success or Failure? Retrieved from
http://illinois.outfitters.com/illinois/henry/bishop_hill_paper.html